Coastal Shores and Wetland Ecosystems in the Northern Appalachian / Acadian Ecoregion (final draft Anderson 3/31/06)

Nova Beach/Dune Scotia

Saltmarsh

Prince Coastal fen Edward Island

Tid al flat

Coastal bog Figure 1. see text

The coastline of the Northern Appalachian /Acadian ecoregion extends for 7,453 miles1 and is rich with almost 24,000 examples of beaches, salt marshes, tidal flats and distinctive rocky shores. Although coastal wetlands and shores cover less than 1% of the ecoregion (926,664 acres -Table 1) they are one of the most critical habitats in the region for biodiversity. Their importance to rare species, shore birds, and offshore fisheries is well known but population trends and conservation needs of the thousands of specialized organisms, (crabs, shellfish, amphipods and other macro/micro invertebrates) are not clearly understood. The distribution of coastal features within the ecoregion is correlated with shoreline orientation, exposure and complexity and tidal range. The complicated south- facing shorelines of Maine and Nova Scotia have extensive tidal flats and salt marshes tucked into nearly every cove and harbor (Figure 1). In contrast, the simpler shorelines that flank the Bay of Fundy have fewer examples of these features but terminate with massive tidal flats in the Cobequid Bay and Minas Basin region reflecting a tidal range that is the largest in the world. The east facing shores of New Brunswick and PEI have extensive barrier beaches and dunes while Quebec’s beaches and dunes are almost entirely located on the Magdalen Islands. (Table 1, Figure 2).

1 Including the coastline of Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands

1 Table 1. The amount and size of coastal features within the ecoregion (features under 2 acres are excluded). Coastal Total Ave. AV AV AV AV AV Features Count Acres Size Min Max ME NB NS PE QC Coastal Shores Beach/Dune 2,745 47,992 17 0.1 1,095 24 10 19 48 Rocky Shore & Cliff 1,892 15,718 25 0.0 407 3 21 18 Coastal Wetlands Coastal Bog 706 51,513 73 0.1 5,077 ? 220 48 58 57 Salt pond 674 16,016 24 0.1 715 31 23 23 Salt/brackish marsh 6,818 138,384 20 0.0 4,427 6 38 16 15 143 Misc. fresh wetlands 3,409 34,534 101 0.0 749 6 40 67 5 2 Tidal flat 4,039 596,898 148 0.0 49,404 25 114 329 Aquatic bed 3,469 25,330 7 0.1 205 7 29

Grand Total 23,950 926,644 39 0.0 49,404 9 52 77 15 90 (Final numbers are in D/NAP/targets/models/90m/coastal/wetnap_cst705.xls It contains integrated USCANADA data as well as US and Canada separate columns)

Figure 1. The distribution of coastal features by state and province.

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2 Biodiversity and Coastal features

The coastal zone extends landward from the submerged aquatic beds just beyond the low tide line to the terrestrial margin where headlands, cliffs and dunes are found. The latter zone is marked by a definite change in material, physiographic form or a line of permanent vegetation, indicating the limit of the highest storm waves. Ecologists group the coastal shore and wetland features into a number of broadly defined ecosystem types based on structure, processes and composition as described below.

Coastal Shores

Headlands, Cliffs and Rocky shores: The rockbound coast of the ecoregion consists of bedrock shores punctuated by sandy interludes of beaches and dunes. Headlands with steep cliff faces jutting out into the sea are common. Subject to salt spray and wave pounding, headlands can be dramatic features while the related horizontal intertidal zone is the haven of algae, barnacles, snails and limpets. Coastal cliffs and isolated rocky islands are the preferred nesting habitat of black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, razorbill and common murre. The lower shore zone subject to long periods of tidal inundation forms the habitat of rockweeds and brown seaweeds, mussels and Irish moss. Mapped examples of rocky shores and cliffs total to 904 miles of linear shoreline. Occurring in almost 2,000 distinct narrow segments averaging 25 acres in area, rocky shoreline is most abundant in areas of granite or mafic bedrock but may be found throughout the coastal region.

Unconsolidated Beach and Dune Complexes: - Beaches are thick accumulations of unconsolidated water-borne, well-sorted sand and pebbles deposited on a shore, or in active transit along it. Dunes are transient mounds of loose, windblown sand, sometimes stabilized with vegetation. Beaches and dunes are ecologically linked but form distinct habitats, the former being periodically inundated and the latter dry and distinguished by vegetation adapted to constant sand burial. Typical plant species of beaches and dunes include: beach grass, sea rocket, sea-beach sandwort, seaside spurge, dusty miller, sea oats, seaside goldenrod, beach heather and bayberry. Although several of these species have wide ranges along the Atlantic coast they are otherwise narrowly restricted to this extremely specific and uncommon habitat. Beach nesting birds such as plovers and terns rely on exposed scrapes and isolation to prevent predation by mammals and other birds. Many are in decline due to loss of breeding habitat. Beaches cover almost 2249 miles of coast, although contiguous examples are small with two-thirds of the 2745 beach/dune occurrences being less than 10 acres in extent and 82% covering less than 20 acres. In several places, elongate barrier beaches have formed that parallel the shoreline but remain separated from it by a lagoon or marsh. Hog Island, a 1,100 acre barrier beach of Prince Edward Island boasts piping plovers, common terns, beach pinweed and broom crowberry, and is the largest example in the ecoregion.

Coastal Wetlands and Marshes

Tidal flat – Tidal flats are extensive, horizontal tracts of unconsolidated clays, silts, sands and organic materials that are alternately covered and uncovered by the tide. Most are sparsely vegetated but during low tide, shorebirds congregate in tidal flats, sometimes in vast numbers, to feast on their abundant burrowing invertebrates. Tidal flats make up 64% of the coastal wetlands mapped in the ecoregion. The largest example, 49,000 acres in the Minas Basin, is a huge and globally significant stopover site for migratory shore birds

3 Salt and Brackish marsh – Like tidal flats, salt marshes are flat, poorly drained areas subject to periodic inundation by salt water but salt marshes are covered with a thick mat of grassy salt- tolerant plants. These marshes may be further classified into saline marshes and brackish marshes depending on the salinity of the overwash water. Here they are treated as one system because our mapping units could not reliably separate the two. Brackish marshes typically occur in areas where there is a mixing between fresh and salt water such as at the mouth of a large river. . Salt and brackish marshes are important to many of our rarest birds such as the salt marsh sparrow and willet. Specialized vegetation, exemplified by the dominant spartina grasses, have evolved mechanisms to resist desiccation and maintain salt balance in this extreme setting. Rare or declining plant species include seaside dock, saltmarsh sedge, seashore saltgrass, creeping alkali grass, American sea-blite, and small spikerush. There are over 6000 discrete salt and brackish marshes in the region ranging in size from 1 to 4000 acres. They occur in all parts of the coastline and amount to 140,000 acres in total. One of the largest (2,288 acres) occurs in the John Lusbie National Wildlife area in Cobequid Bay and is recognized as a globally significant bird area.

Salt pond – Salt ponds are bodies of salt water in a marsh or swamp along the seacoast. They often have distinct shoreline vegetation such as seaside flatsedge and seaside crowfoot.

Tidal marsh – Tidal marsh is a broad term used in this report to encompass both marshes and tidal flats. It refers to any extensive level marsh or flat regularly inundated by high tides.

Coastal Bog – Cool maritime conditions favors the development of extensive bogs and fens in the coastal zone. Much like their inland counterparts these are areas of waterlogged, spongy ground, consisting primarily of mosses, containing acidic, decaying vegetation, such as sphagnum or sedges, which may develop into peat. Coastal bogs tend to be dominated by species such as broom crowberry and cottongrass that are minor components of inland systems. A number of rare orchids and carnivorous plants are found in this environment.

Coastal Zone and Important Bird Areas. The unique importance of coastal shores, marshes, offshore waters or isolated islands to shorebirds has long been recognized. Many places in the ecoregion have been ranked globally and/or nationally significant for shorebird or seabird concentrations and threatened species. Some of the most important include: • Northeast Coastal Maine (ME) • Country Island Complex (NS) • Sable Island (NS) • Eastern Cape Sable Island (NS) • Cobequid Bay (NS • Malpeque Bay (PEI) • Southern Bight, Minas Basin (NS) • Brier Island (NS) • PEI National Park (PEI) • Iles-de-la-Madeleine (QU)

4 Coastal Shore and Wetland Portfolio Summary The screening criteria used to locate and identify coastal shore and wetland features most critical to maintaining biodiversity required that each qualifying occurrence: • Was contiguous and met size criteria: o Salt/Brackish marsh over 50 acres or part of a complex over 100 acres o Beach/dune over 20 acres o Coastal bogs over 75 acres o Tidal flats over 100 acres or part of a larger complex o Rocky shores and cliffs that were 2 acres minimum and part of a complex including some of the above features • Were in good landscape settings (Land Cover Index < 30) • Were in good condition based on ground surveys and expert opinion (corroboration by at least one source) • Contain other confirmed biodiversity features (element occurrences)

Size criteria for the respective systems were determined by a literature analysis of minimum area requirements for the characteristic breeding species as well as information on the scale of specific disturbances (Tables 2 and 3, Figure 2). Additionally, we examined survey records for species and communities with documented occurrences in Northern Appalachian / Acadian coastal wetland complexes (Figures3-5). We used different minimum size criteria for different features. For salt marshes both the literature and evidence from ground surveys suggested that occurrences over 50 acres were more likely to contain rare plant and bird species than smaller examples (Figures 2 and 3). For beach/dune ecosystems the evidence suggested that 20 acres was adequate to ensure that the occurrence could serve as a coarse filter for characteristic beach breeding species such as piping plover (Figure 4). Similarly intertidal flats of 100 acres of greater appear to be adequate in size to serve the needs of many typical species (Figure 5). Unlike the literature analysis, the patterns derived form the inventory data are correlative and do not imply cause. Additionally, our method of examining size relationships tended to underestimate the size of the whole wetland. For example a tidal marsh dissected by a tidal creek may be registered in our analysis as two discrete occurrences on either side of the creek. A breeding species occurring on one side will be associated only with the size of that half. To get around this limitation we developed a map of coastal complexes based on physical features that unified marsh, tidal flat, beach and salt ponds into a single wetland complex. When the size of the complex is examined relative to associated species the data suggest that many species prefer larger complexes and that those sizes are greater than the minimums derived from each feature individually (Figure 5). We adjusted our selection criteria to take into account the size of the entire wetland complex as well as the sizes of the individual occurrences within the complex. This allowed some smaller features to be included in the portfolio if they were part of a large wetland mosaic.

5 Table 2. Birds that appeared to favor small coastal features were species that breed on rocky coastal islands and cliffs or unusual winter sightings. Data are based on USHP and Canadian CDC occurrences but many of these species are not thoroughly or consistently tracked by their respective programs. Only species with 3 or more observations and high level of locational precision are shown.

Average Average Size of Common Features size the wetland name Habitat (acres) complex (acre) rocky cliffs on Black coastal Guillemot shores/islands 25 42 Razorbill coastal islands 23 23 Leach's Storm- Petrel coastal islands 8 18 Atlantic Puffin coastal islands 11 14 winters in Brant sheltered bays 10 10 winters occ along Gyrfalcon open coast 3 3

Table 3: Birds in relation to coastal feature sizes. Occurrences of these species were used to confirm portfolio examples of coastal shore or wetland features (see data caveats in Table 2)

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G_comnam Habitat T o % a % a % a % a % a A Black-legged pelagic gull, nest on sea Kittiwake cliffs 3 100 16,683

Red Knot migrant, tidal flats, beaches 3 67 33 1,379 Semipalmated Sandpiper migrant, mudflats 4 25 25 25 25 431 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow salt marshes 2 50 50 201

Willet nests in coastal marshes 3 67 33 267

Arctic Tern breeds on coastal beaches 14 43 14 29 14 4,673

Piping Plover breeds on coastal beaches 49 6 16 2 53 22 1,453

Common Tern nests on islands or beaches 82 22 17 4 40 17 3,048 offshore islands w pebbly Roseate Tern beach 12 42 25 25 8 3,262

Black-headed Gull coastal marshes, lakes 4 50 50 926

Gadwall fresh, occ brackish marsh 4 25 50 25 235

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Figure 2. Minimum dynamic area for disturbance processes and minimum area requirements for breeding species in Northern Appalachian salt marshes.

SALT MARSH

DISTURBANCE FACTORS

Ice scour

Wrack burial 200 acres

100 acres

50 acres Occurrence Size

Crabs Snails Marsh insects Amphipods Filter feeder colonies

Savannah Sparrow Sharp tailed Sparrow Sedge Wren Least Bittern Clapper Rail Black Seaside sparrow Duck Willet? Black Rail Short –eared BREEDING SPECIES AREA REQUIREMENTS Owl

Figure 3. The average size of the tidal marshes and coastal bogs where confirmed occurrences of characteristic species were observed. Data from CDC and Maine Natural Heritage program, restricted to species with 3 or more occurrences and a location precision of 0 to 3. Yellow rail had an average marsh size of 1523 acres, Arctic tern had an average of 47 acres. The grand average was 188 acres.

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Figure 4. The average size of the beaches and dunes where confirmed occurrences of beach/dune specific species were observed. Data from CDC and Maine Natural Heritage program, restricted to species with 3 or more occurrences and a location precision of 0-3. At the two extremes, beaches where the occurrences of beach pinweed (Lechea maritima) were located averaged 632 acres in size, those for the Nova Scotia false foxglove (Agalinis neoscotica) averaged 19 acres.

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A 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 d r k r y r ll s e l e e c e r rn e e u rn sh s d rn e v e h o h r e v g e a e rg e s e t t e T o d G u r e u T d lo w a D a b l e d T tb p n g n e e e w ic P S n l -G -W e u x i H H o t g lle o a y S t o o P - id - r c s i S w e a r F h d S n C r in n -b m s ro m d e G - c n - e A ip o g m ' r ig i s e a a a ld m m o n A s o h ls e S e o P in to P a R c a S o m R C k la r e a F B G ro E n u te S e B a s a b ia r in a t F n W e co e S S P e a p v s o a N G

Figure 5. The average size of the coastal wetland complexes where confirmed occurrences of characteristic species were observed. Data from CDC and Maine Natural Heritage program, restricted to species with 3 or more occurrences and a location precision of 0 to 3.

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1,000 0 r l t r t l l r l in w w n e h n k r k e s s x e s o s h i h s e i w te e s a o a r w s r in o c g s u la t s o s s a s e g a o e li w d k t r tr e p O u e w o d ra x F s ra f ra u R u s d R ll d O la ic n r s T p r T -P d D e o - A e r lr s e i n -B b T a a d c o d e s S G d d G s tg e ia u re S w W a a y y - l p ti C re ik n s n e li o a e - o l ik n B o m e w r -P S e c p o a a id ie a r o c w o a p i -T h ll y r o a a B r h a S m r S z k te n o S S rg d ' s e r e S n w g e d g A rs -e l -S n l e T e rr G i e s r Y a n S T g k le a rt l m G g a A h d r e re d V R ie a o G a e a i o o a o s in e e r w A it o e d M H n c l's B n ta B M C u p ck g s ta a a l h k a t- a ri e t s - t h m o e S in n s L l B s a L l c e s u le rp l S S r e a p e a . u t- a e a ri e c tt a a e r M e id t s s e B g S e m o ti a h S b C e B S in a S in A L c R u r B e n o d m e S T C t e C d A n d 's lla P o n re n e N o e o b 8e C k s p w c l m s o e e U a ll h N G e C Y Results Our goal was to identify a minimum of 40 examples per sub-region in which they occur. This goal of 1440 individual occurrences totals to about 13 percent of all the coastal features in the ecoregion or an estimated 17% of all features by area (using the minimum size criteria). After examining the distribution of the occurrences across gradients, we redistributed the goal of 1440 across the sub-regions in proportion with the number of possible occurrences. (Table 4) We identified 2311 critical occurrences in 90 key complexes. This is more than the number needed to meet our minimum goal, however many of these occurrences are sub- units of a larger complexes. We met or surpassed the specific goals for each sub- region except for beach/dune features in the Acadian Highlands, and Nova Scotia Hills.

Candidate and Supporting occurrences In addition to the critical occurrences, this analysis encompassed a large number of less notable, or poorly surveyed coastal shores and wetlands that did not meet our screening criteria for being a critical feature. We accounted for their potential contributions to biodiversity by sorting them into two categories and totaling the amounts of each. • Candidate occurrence: A feature that met the criteria for size and landscape context but for which we had no verification or corroboration as to their condition and biodiversity contribution. These may be added to the portfolio after ground verification and are a logical place to focus inventory efforts. • Supporting occurrence: A feature that did not meet the criteria for size and landscape context but may play a supporting role in supplementing the critical sites. Many of the candidate and supporting occurrences already occur on protected reserves and thus are part of the defacto conservation picture for the region. Because conserved examples of these occurrences may serve to bolster biodiversity protection we included them in some of our analyses for context. However, candidate and supporting occurrences were not counted as contributing to the portfolio goals.

Occurrences, Sites and Goals When measured by area, the critical sites account for 44 percent of all coastal features, more than the estimated13 percent because the critical sites were consistently larger than the average or minimum size. As discussed in the introduction, we have no certainty that it is possible to protect all coastal biodiversity using only a proportion of the landscape. We used numeric goals to hone our focus on the most critical sites. The methods were designed to insure that conservation is focused on the most functional examples in the most intact landscapes possible. They are scaled in size to work effectively as coarse filters for all biodiversity and the occurrences have verification as to quality by one to several sources. By these criteria, this is the set of sites that will have the greatest influence and the highest chances of protecting biodiversity over centuries.

9 Table 4a. Goals and Distribution for critical occurrences of coastal features except for tidal flats.

Feature ELC_name Goal TC CP CU PC PS OU T S Dune Acadian Highlands 7 31 8 23 2 26 59 24 Acadian 'Uplands' 9 1 0 1 7 61 69 -8 Atlantic Coast 118 220 35 185 3 60 665 948 102 GoM, BoF, Minas Basin 34 27 7 20 20 222 269 -7 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 161 371 105 266 4 70 841 1286 210 Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 14 0 0 0 9 105 114 -14 Beach/Dune Total 343 650 155 495 7 168 1920 2745 307 Bog Acadian Highlands 0 3 0 3 1 4 3 Acadian 'Uplands' 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 Atlantic Coast 55 111 10 101 2 8 323 444 56 GoM, BoF, Minas Basin 3 4 1 3 1 19 24 1 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 25 69 17 52 6 128 203 44 Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 3 1 0 1 1 26 28 -2 Coastal Bog Total 88 188 28 160 2 16 500 706 100 Acadian Highlands 3 8 3 5 2 10 20 5 Cliff Acadian 'Uplands' 58 20 0 20 9 437 466 -38 and Rocky Atlantic Coast 16 56 13 43 3 67 126 40 Shore GoM, BoF, Minas Basin 105 140 45 95 62 645 847 35 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 6 4 1 3 2 43 49 -2 Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 3 0 0 0 1 24 25 -3 Cliff and Rocky shore Total 191 228 62 166 2 77 1226 1533 37 Salt Acadian Highlands 1 7 0 7 1 8 6 Pond Acadian 'Uplands' 3 0 0 0 23 23 -3 Atlantic Coast 30 47 3 44 8 187 242 17 GoM, BoF, Minas Basin 1 1 0 1 1 8 10 0 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 45 66 21 45 1 22 273 362 21 Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 4 0 0 0 2 27 29 -4 Salt Ppond Total 84 121 24 97 1 33 519 674 37 Salt Acadian Highlands 8 45 1 44 1 22 68 37 Marsh Acadian 'Uplands' 49 58 0 58 10 323 391 9 Atlantic Coast 143 284 40 244 2 53 804 1143 141 Gaspe Peninsula 5 11 1 10 1 26 38 6 GoM, BoF, Minas Basin 139 323 38 286 24 764 1112 184 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 322 389 63 326 6 106 2075 2576 67 Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 63 13 2 11 1 11 477 502 -50 Temiscouata Hills - St. John Uplands - North 5 1 0 1 42 43 -4 Salt/brackish marsh Total 733 1124 145 980 9 206 4533 5873 391 Grand Total 1440 2311 414 1898 21 500 8698 11531 871 Goal = the portfolio goal TC = total number of critical occurrences identified and located. CU = Critical occurrences that occur on lands managed for extraction or are unprotected. CP = Critical occurrences that occur on lands explicitly protected for biodiversity. PC = Candidate occurrences that occur on lands explicitly protected for biodiversity. PS = Supporting occurrences that occur on lands explicitly protected for biodiversity. OU = Other occurrences that occur on lands managed for extraction or are unprotected. T = total # of occurrences. S = portfolio sufficiency

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Table 4b. Goals and Distribution for critical occurrences of tidal flats. Legend as for 4a Group ELC_name Goal TC CP CU PC PS OU T S Tidal flat Acadian Highlands 1 9 0 9 9 18 Acadian 'Uplands' 52 163 0 163 2 592 757 -111 Atlantic Coast 76 60 6 54 6 53 983 1102 Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, Minas Basin 63 177 3 174 1 19 716 913 -114 North Atlantic Coast Ecoregion 51 502 0 502 243 745 -451 Northumberland - Bras D'Or 'lowlands' 23 78 15 63 3 13 244 338 - Nova Scotia Hills & Drumlins 11 2 0 2 1 163 166 Tidal Flat Total 280 991 24 967 10 88 2950 4039 -711

Distribution and current protection status of the coastal feature portfolio. Our portfolio identifies 90 key sites of critical shoreline encompassing 423,052 acres and 1720 features - each site being composed of either a single outstanding feature or a complex mosaic of many features. Collectively they constitute only one half of one percent of the ecoregion (excluding off-shore tidal flats that are outside the mapped ecoregion boundary) Our focus was on critical rocky shores/cliffs, beaches, salt marshes, tidal flats and coastal bogs, but the sites encompass other shoreline features. Tidal flats form such a large percentage of the area they tend to obscure patterns formed by the smaller features. Because of this, Figure 6 is shown on a log scale and the two subsequent figures (Figure 7 and 8) show the distribution of coastal features excluding tidal marshes. The land protection status of critical tidal flats is shown in relation to all other features in Figure 9.

Figure 6 the amount of each coastal feature captured by the 90 wetland complexes identified in this analysis. A log scale is used to smooth out the discrepancies in amount from over 300,000 acres of tidal marsh to 1000 acres of rocky shore and cliff. The amount on protected land (GAP status 1 or 2) is shown in black.

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1 Salt/ brackish Tidal flat Coastal Bog Beach/ Dune Salt pond Rocky Shore /Cliff marsh Grand Total 263,884 49,023 34,574 29,152 5,508 3,313 UNPROTECTED 257,771 42,157 30,809 20,594 5,113 2,253 GAP1/2 6,113 6,866 3,765 8,558 395 1,060 11 The portfolio is distributed across subregions to reflect the natural distributions of features across gradients (Figure 7). The Northumberland coast of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have more than twice the number of portfolio occurrences than any other region. The fact that the Gaspe and Temiscuouta Hills primarily feature salt marshes may reflect data limits. Further research is needed on other features in these subregions

Figure 7. Coastal Portfolio across subregions (tidal flats excluded) 70,000

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0 Northumberla Gulf of Maine, Temiscouata Nova Scotia Gaspe Acadian Acadian nd - Bras D'Or Atlantic Coast Bay of Fundy, Hills - St. Hills & Peninsula Highlands 'Uplands' 'lowlands' Minas Basin John Uplands - Drumlins Salt/brackish marsh 15,724 4,942 12,376 4,408 4,427 532 467 481 Salt pond 2,266 3,017 7 219 0 0 Rocky cliff/shore 34 727 0 1,523 0 833 0 89 Bog 17,803 15,684 597 175 315 0 Beach/Dune 23,992 3,744 756 636 0 24

The portfolio is unevenly distributed by province and state with New Brunswick, Quebec and Nova Scotia having the bulk of the portfolio and some states (NH, VT, NY) not having any coastal shoreline in this ecoregion.

Figure 8. The coastal portfolio by state and province (tidal flats excluded).

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S 5,000 0 NB QC NS ME PEI Grand Total 36,862 34,481 34,425 8,763 7,880 Salt/Brackish marsh 10,556 22,126 7,789 8,160 1,235 Salt pond 1,187 3,614 708 Rocky shore/cliff 911 1,799 603 Coastal Bog 17,528 453 16,206 386 Beach/Dune 6,681 11,902 5,017 5,552

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Examination of the current land protected status indicates that New Brunswick is furthest along on protecting coastal features with over 13,000 acres of the critical portfolio occurrences being on land with a GAP 1 or 2 status. Our analysis does not account for coastal zone legal policies which are one of the primary conservation tools for coastal features.

Figure 9. Land protection status of tidal flats and other coastal features in the Northern Appalachian /Acadian ecoregion by state and province. Tidal flats are separated from all other critical occurrences (salt marshes, beach dune systems, coastal bogs, rocky cliffs and shores) that are aggregated in this figure because of the inequities of size.

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0 NS NB ME QC PE Tidal flat: unprotected 218,088 23,560 20,208 0 0 Critical occurrences: Unprotected 30,420 32,763 33,778 29,940 5,129 Tidal flat: GAP 1/2 3,481 2,675 89 0 0 Critical occurrences: GAP 1/2 5,169 10,354 1,038 4,541 3,073

Sites: Site lists are found in Appendix A

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